Raised Veggie Garden Open for Business!

It's finished!!  The new raised veggie garden with hand built natural stone retaining wall.  Squee!

I couldn't be happier with my new dream veggie garden!  It's big with over 164 square feet of gardening goodness.  And there is even a new supply of dirt/manure mix which should make plants very happy. 

Oh, and how about the stone stepping path?  Isn't it marvelous?  It also helps me divide the space in half creating natural planting rows and squares/

I think the new wall does wonders for the front of our house too!  As much as I like brick... I think the stone makes more sense for our forest-y area.

And yes, I couldn't resist putting the first plants in the garden.  The first two are jalapeno plants!  I will be adding lettuce, spinach, green beans, peas, and probably a few others this coming weekend. 

Can't wait to get my hands in the dirt!!

How about a quick look at a few of the tulips that we are enjoying right now?

Having these brilliant colors around is really making me smile!  I also think I need to make a note to add purple tulips in the fall.  I seem to have a lot of red and orange. 

Lastly, a small story... I pass this tree at least ten times a day.  I mean seriously I have probably be staring at this tree every day for nearly 3 years.  And I'm not sure I ever really noticed this awesome knot on it. 

It's about the size of a bowl -- big!  And has lovely textures and shapes.  I think I feel it inspiring a quilt.  Don't you just love when you have a moment that you finally see something for the first time? 

Previous posts about the rock wall project:

The Rock Wall is Nearly Done

The Rocks are Multiplying
Veggie Garden Retaining Wall

Midweek Project Check-in (WIP)

--FINISHED!!--

Tulip Table Runner

Does anyone remember this project?  I dusted it off recently and decided to finish it up for a Mother's Day giftie -- and really had a blast re-kindling with this one!

I started by putting together a backing of strips left over from the front.  Katie will now inspect.

Then it was sandwich time.  No Katie, not that kind of sandwich.  No turkey or cheese here... just fabric and batting. 

At this point I decided I wanted to do a little something special to really make the flowers stand out. 

I decided on a little hand embroidery in the form of yellow french knots to look like the pollen in the middle of a flower.

Aren't those little knots so darling?  I really enjoyed the process and can see doing it to another quilt in the near future for sure!

A close up!

A shot of another flower!

Once I finished quilting -- I did a very simple square 1/8 in from the edge of each flower box and also a large rectangle around the border of the whole runner -- it was time for binding. 

I made up a bit of blue and scrappy binding.  Don't you just love binding all rolled up?

And here is the finished table runner.  It's about 5 feet 3 inches long.  I know... it's for a very big table!

I really enjoyed making this one!  I enjoyed gifting it too!  My MIL (that's Mother in Love) was over the moon to get it!  She had already seen the top completed, but not the whole thing together yet.  What a great project!!

--ONGOING PROJECTS--

My Quilt Needs a Name: Bottled Rainbows {ticker tape quilt-along}

I'm excited to say that this project has gotten the most attention this past week and I am loving every stitch of it!  Get it... every stitch? Ha!

I still can't get over the richness and vibrancy of these Kona solids.  Every last one is so delicious!  I was stuck between can't cut these pretty fabrics and I can't wait to dive in for weeks.

I assembled three of the blocks just to get a feel for it.  And it was easy peasy! 

I got out a big pile 'o small batting scraps to use for the quilt as you go part.

I also have my fabric scraps at the ready.  I haven't separated them out by color yet, but I am thinking it's the next logical step.

I randomly decided to start with this Kelly green block and was amazing at how many green's I have in my scraps.  It may help me to put all the Kona bottle green colors (there are three of them) next to me so that I can figure out which scraps will go with this one versus other shades.

Like those mushrooms in the top right -- so cute! -- but probably belong with the darker green shade. 

This one was watching me the whole time.  Seeing me move around with bundles of scraps and fabric always peaks her curiosity.  Golly, I love this dog!  More to come... I can see myself playing with this one on and off all week!

Crewel Spring Flowers

I'm plugging along with each stitch and flower.  I will show you again once the next flower is finished!  I am working on yellow roses -- delightful!!  Here is what it looked like last week if you want to look.

--STALLED--

Flourishing Garden (king sized)
I am still thinking about the backing to this one.  Yes, you can call that really no action.

X Marks the Spot

Still on my design wall, next step is to cut squares and then piece the top.  Just haven't picked up the rotary cutter to do this yet.

Katie Fiber Art

I have been thinking about one a lot too.  And I think I am going to restart this one.  I originally used some very thick fabrics to get the fur texture, but it has proved hard to thread paint. 

Of course, I haven't given this a try on the new machine yet.  Maybe that's my plan.  Try thread painting it on the new machine and take it from there. 

This Week's Work in Progress (WiP) Stats 

Last WiP Wednesday Total: 6
New Projects: 0 (I've been so good not to start something new!)

Finished Projects: 1
Total WiP's: 5 (down one with the finish of Tulip Table Runner!)

---Linking to W.I.P. Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced and Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory---

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan 

Hands in the Dirt: Happy Mother's Day

I can't get enough of how beautiful this spring is. 

I guess it takes a rough winter to make everything look like jewels sparkling in the sunshine!

A few flowers to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!  To all you wonderful women!  

Whether you are a mother to a child young or all grown... whether you are mother to a furbaby cat or dog... whether you are mother to those around you giving them love and encouragement at just the right moments -- I want to wish you an amazing weekend and hope you get lots of time to laugh with your families!! 

Smile until it hurts and then smile some more!!

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Hands in the Dirt: Tulips and Spring Planting

I have to admit that the rain showers have stopped almost on cue with the month of April ending.  That has meant fairly warm temperatures and more sunshine then we have seen in weeks.  Almost without thinking about it, I have spent every minute possible outside taking it all in.

Let's have a look at all that's blooming and what I've been planting!

The tulips are just incredible this year.  I really need to take another picture, because even over the last two days more have bloomed!  So many colors -- and it's bright and wonderful!

Katie and I also went to a flower market where we picked out some new plants to bring home! 

Here you can see a bunch of them together.  And I tried to point out names where I remember them.  Most of them will work well in my rock garden and don't require a lot of watering which is good for our hot NY summers.  I need to remember to take pictures of where I planted them.

I also have very steep hill that we want to cover with plants and ground cover for easier maintenance since it's really too steep to mow.  Last fall, I planted a ton of daffodil bulbs.. and they just look stunning this year!! 

I also bought a few creepy-type spreading plants to add to the hillside.  And I'm excited that the Creeping Mountain Pink not only blooms in the spring, but also in the summer!  Neat, right?  I'm just hoping the deer don't take a fancy to eating them. 

The other plants in the wheel barrow, with the tall purple flowers, are called Bugleweed.  I know, I know.. how often does one purchase and plant something with the word 'weed' in it.  But it's just what this hillside needs.  Bugleweed is supposed to be a vigorously spreading plant and should withstand some puppy stomping.  We shall see.

This hill faces the street and is such a cheery welcome when you drive by!  I'm looking forward to seeing it progress as things grow in and fill in the gaps!

And that's what I've been up to! 

I've been outside. 

Hands in the dirt. Sun on my face.  Bug bites. Sweating.

...and loving every darn moment of it!

Have you ventured outside lately?

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Happy Moment #25: Stop and Smell the Tulips

A Friday ritual with Soulemama.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary, happy moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments too!

 

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

~Omar Khayyam

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Consumed by Favorites

I have been consumed by favorite things over the last few days.  Head over heels engaged.  Living totally in the moment.  Being somewhat lazy.  Taking lots of photos and not sharing them.  Missing you terribly!

Things like guessing what color these tulips would open up to be.  Stalking them daily as they turned more and more pink and sniffing them for any whiffs of spring perfume!

Taking a lot of pictures to try and really capture the essence of a flower in the right light and mood!

Spending every free moment with my sewing machine assembling the king size quilt.  Getting more and more attached with every stitch. 

Stitching faster and more often as the top gets bigger and I can't help but want to know how it will look in the end.  It's been like a good story unfolding that I can't peel away from.

Enjoying traditions and trying to figure out what else I can use dye on.  We decided Katie would look stunning with one pink paw and one blue one (just kidding).

Some solid eggs, some with spots.  Then laughing about how the spotted ones look like dinosaur eggs. 

Remembering our color theory studies from school and trying to determine how different dyes will look layered on top of each other.  But mostly, just laughing together and enjoying the moments!

Following Katie's good example of just getting out into the sunshine of the day.  She literally walked down the stairs, walked two steps, and laid down.  She really knows how to soak in the rays!

Hope you also had an amazing weekend!!  I am getting back to creating, looking forward to showing you more sewing progress, some color pencil art, and maybe even a small craft project!! 

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan